Sunday, June 20, 2010

Dhoni praises team's fighting spirit

Dambulla: Accepting able for the June 24 final, India captain Mahender Singh Dhoni bidding beatitude over his side's amazing three-wicket achievement over arch-rivals Pakistan in the Asia Cup candid affray on Saturday night.

"Overall we are actual blessed with our performance. The bowlers did able-bodied to bind Pakistan to 267 afterwards they had got off to a acceptable start. Then, Gautam Gambhir provided us the alpha from area we could plan and advance our innings.

"We absent to Pakistan in the Champions Trophy, so it is acceptable we won the bold here. We were arena Pakistan afterwards a continued time, so bodies aback home would acquire absolutely enjoyed this victory," said an animated Dhoni.

India captivated their assumption in the final moments to annals a nail-biting win over Pakistan at Rangiri Dambulla All-embracing Stadium and book their anchorage in the acme affray adjoin Sri Lanka.

With two defeats out of as abounding matches, Pakistan comatose out of the affray forth with Bangladesh.

Dhoni, however, accepted that things did not appearance as per affairs and bearings became 50-50 in the end.

"Everything didn't go our way and according to our plan. It is auspicious that the lower adjustment came to the accomplishment in the end. If you attending at it, we were in a position of backbone back Gauti (Gambhir) and me were at the crease. Then it became a 50-50 bearings in the aftermost over. Thankfully, Bhajji (Harbhajan) fabricated those runs," said Dhoni.

Dhoni additionally played bottomward the sledging adventure involving Gambhir and Pakistan applicant batsman Kamran Akmal and said it's all allotment and bindle of the game.

"If you ask me if it (sledging) happened or not, I would say let us leave it. India-Pakistan amateur are consistently acute with both absent to win and so there is apprenticed to be some atom in the middle."

Meanwhile, Pakistan captain Shahid Afridi alleged on bodies in Asia to booty candid as a bold and get pleasure the acute animosity amid India and Pakistan.

"Winning and accident is allotment of the game. Both the teams enjoyed it in the middle. Bodies in Asia should apprentice to acquire acceptable and accident as actuality allotment of the game. One aggregation has to win and one aggregation has to lose," said Afridi, who acclaimed Gambhir, Dhoni and Harbhajan for their outstanding performance.

"As a captain I am blessed with the way the aggregation has developed. We can do abundant more good with time. We aloof charge to be assured and go out and get the results," added Afridi.

Afridi said he wasn't blessed with the way Shoaib Akthar bowled with the old ball. "He bowled able-bodied with the fresh ball. But accepting improvement to all-embracing candid afterwards a continued break, he could not bear with the old ball.